An excerp from In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary...

I titled the opening page of the In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary - "A pinch of this and a sprinkle of that" which is also in the title of my blog.

I am always a bit annoyed by people who think of cooking as a chore and not something to be celebrated and be fun. Now, I understand not everyone can be a gourmet chef, even I have had my fair share of cooking flops. Let's just say raw chicken + boiling Jambalaya sauce = Disaster. I've over-cooked, under-grilled, over-salted, under-measured, over-whipped, burnt, dropped and spilled more times than I can count. But isn't that the point? I can recall every cooking mistake I have made, laugh about it and learn from it. My tragedies in the kitchen are more dear to me than my cooking masterpieces. They were funny, sad, annoying, gross, smelly and fun. To me, that is what makes cooking my passion.

From - In the Kitchen with the Auxiliary, A collection of recipes from the Little Ferry Hose Co. 1 Ladies Auxiliary

Behind every great meal lies a memory and memories feed the heart and soul, When you think about it, every celebration, gathering and holiday revolves around food. Sometimes just the smell of a treat baking in the oven can trigger happiness. A recipe is so much more than putting ingredients in a bowl and cooking them up. There are feelings, memories and emotions behind them. The recipes in this book are more than just recipes. They are love, tradition and the stories of our lives.